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Workers’ Compensation Insurance Washington, D.C.
If you have a business in Washington, D.C. with one or more employees, you’re required to have workers’ compensation insurance.1 Workers’ comp provides benefits to employees who get hurt or sick from their job and limits your liability for work-related injuries or illnesses.
You can get workers’ comp coverage from an insurance agent or a licensed insurance carrier like The Hartford. Start a workers’ compensation insurance quote to get your estimate for the coverage you need for your business.
Workers’ Comp in D.C.: Requirements & Coverage
Workers’ comp from The Hartford helps protect you and your employees in many ways. If one of your employees gets hurt or sick from their work, it can help by:
- Assisting with treatment costs
- Replacing some lost wages if they need time off to recover
- Providing disability benefits for those with more serious injuries or illnesses
- Protecting you from workers’ compensation cases and lawsuits that are a result of work-related incidents
What’s covered? If someone gets hurt or sick because of their job, workers’ compensation helps cover their medical expenses. It can also replace some of their income if they need time off, or if they return to a light-duty position that pays less.
Some examples that workers’ comp would cover include:
- Hospital bills if an employee falls off a ladder while reaching for a box on a shelf
- Urgent care costs if a cook burns herself with boiling water while preparing an entrée
- Initial treatment and follow-up care if an office worker develops carpal tunnel syndrome
Washington, D.C. workers’ compensation requirements state that every business with employees is required to carry workers’ compensation coverage.2 Exceptions include:3
- Public employees working for D.C.’s government
- Secretaries, stenographers, or other employees performing services in a Congress member’s office
- Railroad employees
- Casual employees who don’t have regular hours
- Real estate agents or brokers if a large amount of their income is from commissions
- Real estate agents and brokers if they’re working as independent contractors, or their contract states they aren’t an employee for federal income tax purposes
You can read more about workers’ compensation on the D.C. Department of Employment Services’ website.
Proof of coverage, also known as a certificate of insurance, is a document that explains important details about your policy and proves that you’re following the Washington, D.C. workers’ compensation laws.
It’s easy to get proof of coverage with The Hartford. Start today and get your workers’ compensation quote.
What Washington, D.C. Workers’ Compensation Covers
Washington, D.C. workers’ compensation from The Hartford can help cover:
Missed wages if injured workers need time off to recover or return to a light-duty role for less pay.
Repetitive strain injuries (RSI), like carpal tunnel syndrome, that may develop over time.
Disability benefits if an employee is permanently or temporarily disabled because of a work-related injury or illness.
Ongoing care costs if work injuries or occupational diseases need follow-up treatment. This can include physical therapy or additional surgeries.
Funeral costs if a work-related accident causes an employee’s death. Workers’ comp can also provide death benefits to the employee’s beneficiaries.
Washington, D.C. Workers’ Compensation & Domestic Service Workers
Washington, D.C. is one of the few places where you must provide workers’ comp coverage for domestic workers in a private home. They must have coverage if they work in your home for 240 hours or more during any quarter of the year.4
Washington, D.C. Workers’ Compensation & Choosing a Doctor
If one of your employees gets injured or sick from their work, they have the right to choose their own doctor. If they’re too injured to make a decision, you can choose the first physician for them. Then, they can switch to another doctor after getting initial treatment if they wish.5
Once an employee chooses a doctor, they can’t switch without approval from the insurance company or the Office of Workers’ Compensation.6
Washington, D.C. Workers’ Compensation Fee Schedule
A medical fee schedule determines how much a hospital or physician can bill when treating a work-related injury or illness. D.C.’s workers’ compensation program fee schedule is on 113% of Medicare’s reimbursement amounts.7 This means that the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services decides the cost of treatment. Puede conocer más sobre D.C.’s fee schedule on the Department of Employment Services website.
Filing a Workers’ Compensation Claim in Washington, D.C.
If one of your employees gets injured or sick, they should get medical attention immediately. Then, they should submit DCWC Form 7, Employee’s Notice of Accidental Injury or Occupational Disease to you and the D.C. Office of Workers’ Compensation8 within 30 days. Remind your employees to keep a copy of all workers’ compensation forms for their own records.
Washington, D.C. Workers’ Compensation Claims
Visite nuestro workers’ comp claims page to file a claim in Washington, D.C.
This article provides general information, and should not be construed as specific legal, HR, financial, insurance, tax or accounting advice. As with all matters of a legal or human resources nature, you should consult with your own legal counsel and human resources professionals. The Hartford shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, special, consequential, incidental, punitive or exemplary damages in connection with the use by you or anyone of the information provided herein.